(1) Every Home Gaurd who is guil ty of any violation of duty or wilful breach or neglect of any provisions of this Act, or of any rule or lawful order made by competent authority, or who withdraws from the duties of his office with permission or who on being required to undergo training under Section 7 or being called out under Section 10 without sufficient cause neglects or refuses to obey the requirement or the order call ing him out, or who is guil ty of cowardice or offers any unwarrantable personal violence to any person in his custody, or who fails within ten days to surrender his cer t if icate under clause (b) of sub -section (2) of Section 6, shall 6 be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees or with both.
(2) An offence punishable under sub-section (1) shall be cognizable.
(3) The Commandant -General , the District Magistrate, or, subject to the control of the Commandant -General , Commandant or an officer not below such rank as may be prescribed, may, for any act of commission or omission punishable under sub-section
(1), without formal tr ial , award to any Home Guard below the rank of Commandant, who is subject to his authority, any of the following punishments, namely, —
(a) Imprisonment in the Quarter Guard of a police l ine or such other place as may be considered sui table, for a term which may extend to twenty -eight days when the order is passed by the Commandant-General or the District Magistrate, or to seven days when i t is passed by any other officer. Such imprisonment shall involve the forfeiture of pay, honorarium and allowances, if any, for the period of imprisonment;
(b) Punishment dri l l , extra guard, fatigue or other duty, not exceeding twenty - eight days induration, with or without confinement to the l ines as may be appropriate.